How do you say "lawyer" in Japanese?

弁護士

bengoshi

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "lawyer" is 弁護士 (bengoshi).

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Pronunciation

弁護士 is written using kanji. Romanised as bengoshi, it sounds roughly like "beh-n-goh-shee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Bengoshi (弁護士) combines ben (speak in defense), go (protection), and shi (expert). The shi (士) ending marks licensed legal professionals with formal credentials.

Example sentence

彼女は弁護士として働いています。

Kanojo wa bengoshi toshite hataraite imasu.

She works as a lawyer.

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How to remember 弁護士

Beng means defend and shi means expert. A bengoshi is an expert at defending people in legal matters.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 弁護士

How do you pronounce 弁護士?

弁護士 is romanised as bengoshi. Say it roughly like "beh-n-goh-shee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 弁護士 formal or casual?

弁護士 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 弁護士 written in Japanese?

弁護士 is written using kanji. Bengoshi (弁護士) combines ben (speak in defense), go (protection), and shi (expert).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Lawyer" in other languages

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